Osceola plant to close

Over 200 workers at a south-central Iowa manufacturing plant are learning today they’ll soon be without a job. The Siemens Energy and Automation plant in Osceola will be closed after a year-long company audit. Siemens spokesman Marc Marton says the audit showed the company had excess manufacturing capacity, and they’ve decided to close the Osceola plant and move its operations to Ohio. The Osceola plant employs 205 people who make electric switches for motors. He says several people may be offered a transfer to Ohio, and the company will work with the rest to re-train them to find jobs locally. Marton says the plant will be empty and the building up for sale by June, 2003. The plant began operating at Furnas Electric in 1974 and was purchased by Siemens in 1996.